Risk, reward and playing in the NFL

Playing football is a test of that oft-quoted notion of risk vs. reward. The potential monetary bonanza at the end of that slow climb up the ladder of success on the field — starting in youth leagues, moving to high schools and then to colleges before a handful move to the National Football League — is powerfully attractive.

Playing football is a test of that oft-quoted notion of risk vs. reward. The potential monetary bonanza at the end of that slow climb up the ladder of success on the field — starting in youth leagues, moving to high schools and then to colleges before a handful move to the National Football League — is powerfully attractive.

But there is an equally huge gamble. Pro football careers are notably short and years of violent collisions can leave players physically and mentally decimated. Disabilities stemming from concussions, hip, back or knee injuries are well documented. The lucky ones get away with a few aches and pains. The consequences are much more severe for many others. The late all-pro linebacker Junior Seau comes to mind.

So it was heartening last week to see NFL leaders acknowledge the risks involved in a sport that leads to so many riches for the league itself. It is, after all, a $9 billion industry built on the sweat and blood of thousands of athletes over the past 50-plus years. The league did its part by agreeing to pay more than $765 million to settle lawsuits of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related brain disorders after years of violent collisions at nearly every level of organized play.

While some argue that the NFL could certainly afford to settle — and in fact, could’ve paid more — it was also in the league’s interest to make this matter go away before beginning another season. The truth is, no number would have satisfied everyone, boosters and critics alike. But beyond the bottom line, the NFL, without admitting wrongdoing, did make the more important statement of settling with all 18,000 former players, with the vast majority of the cash going to compensate athletes with certain neurological ailments. It also set aside $75 million for medical exams and $10 million for research.

Individual payments would be capped at $5 million for those with Alzheimer’s disease; $4 million for those diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain condition; and $3 million for former players with dementia.

The NFL rose to popularity — and immense profit — through the hard-hitting efforts of these retired players, who did their jobs when we all understood far less about head injuries and their long-term effects. Many of these players have passed away, but of those still alive, too many struggle with residual injuries from their days in uniform.

Over the past five years, the NFL had upped the ante in terms of player safety. It’s more than a good-faith effort by the league to improve the long-term health of its current stars. It’s a matter of self-preservation.

The NFL is the unquestioned behemoth among American pro sports leagues. It does nothing without considering the financial effects. And this is not mutually exclusive from doing something like the right thing.